Letters to the editor: 12/27

Shame on Fishkill for wrecking Jackson House

On Dec. 3, we lost another national landmark building with the demolition of the Jackson House, which was built in 1741. Most people remember it as the Mid Hudson Medical Group building. It was that large yellow house that sat near Jackson Street and Route 52 in the Village of Fishkill. There are two historians in the Village of Fishkill, neither was present during the demolition! Where were you? Shame on you both.

The house was destroyed and the foundation has been filled in. Last year, the majestic oak and maple trees that had shaded the front of the Jackson House were cut down. I suspected that the house's demolition would soon follow. Now all that is left is a vacant lot, right in the heart of the village. A development of apartments is proposed to fill the space left in the landscape.

The Village of Fishkill has completely failed its residents by not having stricter zoning in place to protect such historic structures. I was at the demolition, and watched in horror as a once beautiful historic house was crushed to a pile of rubble such as one would see in a war zone on the nightly news. Once a historic structure has been obliterated from the local landscape, there's no way to replace it. It is lost forever and a "replica" of such a place is nothing short of an insult.

Candace L. Coates

Friends of Jackson House

charter member, Fishkill Historical Society

Fishkill

Not all historical houses can be saved, restored

To the people whining because the Jackson House was demolished:

? Not every historical house can be saved; we must move forward and redevelop areas that have fallen into disrepair or aren't viable.

? These places take an enormous amount of money to maintain. When did you last give money for maintenance of such a property?

? Skilled curators must be hired to oversee the property and they don't come cheaply.

? Volunteers are need to clean and do yard work, etc. When did you last donate your time to such an organization?

? How often did you visit the Jackson House? Never? Once?

? In Dutchess County, there are too many old "historical" houses in decaying condition. Yes, some preservation is in order; let's pick the best examples to keep and maintain. The remainder should be photographed and a historical record be written about the property and this information should be placed in the local historical society archives and be available for study. The rest should be razed to make way for new development.

Julia Pietruszewski

Pleasant Valley

Assemblyman Lalor is no 'defender of taxpayer'

Lalor stated Albany was a "frat house" where members constantly fundraised, but stated that he was against public financing to fix the problem. Lalor disrespected Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying he would have saved the Gap distribution center in Fishkill with a better plan. He continued attacking the Triborough Amendment, while disregarding that his spouse benefits from it as a public employee. Lalor continued to criticize Common Core, while he sends his kids to (a) private school that teaches it.

The best part of the interview was when Poughkeepsie Journal Community Conversations Editor John Penney asked why Lalor decided not to help the county renew the mortgage tax. Lalor said he was not going to raise taxes. However, the editor countered by saying was Lalor concerned about "unintended consequences." The consequence was that Dutchess County Republicans had to raise taxes via an energy tax that brought in $8 million instead of the $5 million the mortgage tax would bring in. Lalor, by inaction, caused taxes to go up $3 million. Lalor concluded that he was an "outsider" and got involved locally, as he is a "defender of the taxpayer." Then why has Lalor not involved himself in Fishkill, where Republicans raised taxes 68 percent in the last two years? Lalor, who lives on two government paychecks, is a "defender of the taxpayer?" Is he kidding?

Kim Albra

Fishkill

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Letters to the editor: 12/27

Shame on Fishkill for wrecking Jackson HouseOn Dec. 3, we lost another national landmark building with the demolition of the Jackson House, which was built in 1741. Most people remember it as the Mid

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